Improvement in burial-caskets



W. HAMILTON. Burial-Casket.

awn w Nwm rifllfiIfIl/II/q W w MiG/1% ILPEIERS. PHOTO UTNOGRA Uni-Ten 7PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM HAMILTON, 0F ALLEGHENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

. IMPROVEMENT lN QBURI'AL-CASKETS.

Specification forming of Letters Patent 0'. 204,320, dated May 28,1878'; application filed To all whom it may concern! v Be it known thatI, WILLIAM Emma-of Allegheny, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania,'have invented anew and useful Improvement in BurialOaskets;

and .I do hereby declare the following to" be a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming partof this specification, in Which- Figure 1 is an elevation ofa casket embodying my invention, with cover and lid partially withdrawn,showing the construction of the parts. Fig. 2 is a transverse section onthe line a: m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 y, showing themanner of securing the lid and cover. Fig. 4 is a view of the under sideof lid and cover. Fig. 5 is a top view of the body of the casket.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of burial-caskets and consistsin providing caskets with a sliding lid or sliding cover, either orboth, as preferred, whereby the multiplicity of fastenings is avoided. Aneat and uniform finish may be given to the casket; and the lid orcover, as the case may be, can be readily and noiselessly adjusted toclose the casket, when desired.

The lids and covers of caskets, as ordinarily constructed, are madedetachable, and are secured usually by screws, or like devices, whichinterfere with the finish of the casket, occupy time, and make more orless noise in attaching or detaching the parts.

Many devices and constructions have heretofore been applied for thepurpose of overcoming the objections specified; but they have in generalbeen such as materially increased the cost of manufacturing, and allwere more or less complicated in character.

My invention has for its object to simplify and oheapen the constructionof caskets, as well as to obviate the objections set forth.

I will now proceed to describe my invention, so that others skilled inthe art to which it pertains may apply the same.

A indicates the body of a casket, B the lid thereof, and O the cover. Inthe upper edge of the sides of the body A, I form parallel grooves a a,either T-shaped, dovetailed, or

other appropriate form, and to the under side of the 'lid B I securecorrespondingly-shaped {tongues b, adapted to slide in the grooves a 10fthe body. The lid should be so constructed that it can be withdrawnentirely, preferably from the head of the casket, (as indicated by {thearrow, Fig. 1;) but in order that the cover {0 may be dispensed with, ifdesired, and the lid partially withdrawn toward the foot of the casket,to disclose the face of the occupant, I form a stop or stops on theunder side of lid B, preferably widening out the tongues b, as at b, andthe slots or T grooves a, for a portion of their length, say, from thehead of the casket, one-third its length, or the point indicated by a.The lid B can be secured,when the casket is to be closed, by means of aspring catch or lock, 11*.

When the cover 0 is intended to slide to disclose the interior of thecasket, it may be constructed as follows: On the under side thereof forabout half its length are formed parallel tongues c, withlaterally-projecting bits or lugs, either fixed or detachable, andwithin the lid near its upper edge are formed grooves d, for thereception of the lugs or bits on tongues c of cover 0. In order to bracethe cover 0 when closed, and to prevent the foot portion from liftingup, a T-shaped stop, 0, is provided, which enters a groove on the top ofthe lid, or, instead thereof, a longitudinal central dovetailed tongueand groove on the lid and cover may beemployed.

This construction will permit the cover 0 to slide back or be withdrawna limited distance, but will prevent its entire removal.

In order to secure the cover when the casket is closed, a spring-latchor equivalent device, 6, may be added.

The devices are employed as follows: When the lid is to be put on thecasket, the ends of the tongues 12, at the foot of the cover, are inserted in the ends of the grooves a, at the head of the body A, and thelid then pushed down over the casket.

If the sliding cover has been omitted, the interior of the casket can beexposed by pushing the head of the lid past the head of body A; but ifthe sliding cover 0 is employed the lid may be locked by catch b and thecover withdrawn to expose the interior of the casket, the catch e havingbeen first withdrawn.

If desired, the lid alone may be constructed to slide, the cover beingmade fast thereto, or, if preferred, the lid may be secured to the bodyA by means of screws, in the usual or any approved manner, the coveralone being made to slide.

I do not desire nor intend to limit myself to the special constructionshown, for it is evident a skilled mechanic can vary the same greatly,without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Among the advantages of my invention are, first, that the face of thecorpse can be read- 11y exposed to view at any time, without the removalof screws or detaching the cover, by simply sliding the cover back; andif neces sary the head of the corpse can be rearranged 1f it has becomedisplaced from any cause.

The limitation of the motion of the lid is of special advantage withsuch caskets as are only expensively upholstered at the head of thecasket.

I am aware that the face-glass of a coffin has been arranged to slide,and adapted to turn back, by hinging or pivoting the same to thecofiin-lid, so that access could be had to the head of the cofiin byfirst removing the cover which protected the glass, and do not hereinclaim such subject-matter.

Having thus set forth the nature and advantages of my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination,with the casket-body, of either a lid or cover provided withlongitudinal sliding connections for substantially the whole lengththereof, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the casket, of either a lid or cover, the partsbeing tongued and grooved, and provided with stops, so that the cover orlid will be limited in its movement on the casket, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I, the said WILLIAM HAMILTON, have hereunto set myhand.

WILLIAM HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

F. W. BITTER, Jr., JAMES I. KAY.

